Machine for separating button-blanks



P. EBY AND L. ANGLE. MACHINE FOR SEPARATING BUTTON BLANKS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1916.

1,350,794, Patented Aug; 24, 1920.

' L O 34/ Z5 20 2 6 WIT/758858. 8

INVENTORS g agjf ie ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP EBY AND LLOYD ANGLE, OF ROCHESTER, NEV] YORK, ASSIGNOR TO. ART IN BUTTONS, INCL, OF ROCHESTER, NE\V YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' MACHINE FOR SEPARATIN BUTTON-BLANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented All"; 24, 1920.

Application filed August 14, 1916. Serial No. 114,706.

the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference characters marked thereon.

Our invention has for its object to afford a machine for the separation of blanks such as are used in the construction of buttons and formed by cutting a nut into sections, the object being to select these according to the maximum size of the button that can be formed. from a blank. 7 A. further purpose of the invention is to afford a mechanism by which blanks can readily be fed thereto and accurately separated in to the various classes desired according to size, all of which is automatically determined by the machine. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification;

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus showing aepreferred embodiment of the in vention; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view illustrating two blanks in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3*3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken in a horizontal plane and showing a pair of blanks also in section.

Similar reference characters throughout he several views indicate the same parts.

The structure comprises a frame 1 and a pair of rotary separating members designated generally at 2 and 8 and journaled in the frame 1, with their axes in substantially the same horizontal plane whereby to support a blank in a vertical plane in a manner that will appear presently. The rotary members 2 and 8 carry pinions 4 and 5 respectively which are in engagement with each other while the rotary member 2 has fixed thereon the pulley 6 to which power is applied for operating the members 2 and 3.

it is discharged.

The separating members 2 and 3 are provided with spirally grooved sections desig nated at 2 2, 2 2 and 3, 3 etc., the different spirally grooved sections being separated from each other by walls or partitions 7, forming the different compartments into which the different sized sections are discharged. The grooves of the spirally grooved sections are decreased in depth, in

the successive sections from the left hand 4 toward the right hand end of the apparatus, by reducing the diameter of the members, so that there is a smaller space between the separating members at the left hand end for separating out the smaller blanks and a larger space the rigl'it hand end for separating out the larger blanks, while the intermediate sections take care of the corresponding intermediate sizes of blanks. The latter are fed to the machine by a pair of spiral conveyors 8 carried by and arranged at the f eding end of the se mrating members, and cooperating to form a space or recess tliatholds theblanks A edgewise in a vertical plane inthe manner shown in Fig. 2, the blank resting upon the enlarged portions 9 of the separating members 2 and 3. and being fed along by, and supported against, the conveyers 8 until it reaches the spirally grooved sections 2 and 3 at which p'oint'the blank falls between the separating members if sufficiently small and otherwise it is carried along the machine until it reaches its proper pocket.

'The blanks are separated according to the. maximum size of buttons to be out, which is determined by a substantially rectangular measurement such as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 4, connecting the four points of the separating members that support the blank, and determine at what point In Fig. 4 there are par tially shown two adjacent spirally grooved sections, the groove (1 of the one section being more shallow than the groove 2') of the adjacent section, so that when the blank 0 has proceeded as far as the groove a, it will no longer be supported at the four points but is permitted to drop into the compartment underneath. The grooves of the separating members are preferably of rectangular formation in cross section to permit receiving the edge portions of differently formed blanks such as shown in Fig. 4;, while at the same time affording engagement for the flat side of a blank as illustrated at 0 and for accurately'measuring it by engagement at four points, determined by the outermost edges of the grooves in which the blank is positioned. The blank is thus supported by the edges of the groove as shown in Figs. 2 and 4c irrespective of the conformation of the blank whether it be comparatively wide or narrow, thick or thin, and is carried along the spirally grooved sections until it reaches a point that determines by accurate measurement that the blank includes a rectangular portion sufiicient for a predetermined size of button and it is accordingly dropped into the particular compartment or pocket of this size.

It will be observed that the button blanks are sorted, by measuring or gaging-them to determine their average thickness, thus classlfying them according to both the. greatest shoulder, thickness andllargest diameter of W which form gage points for simultaneously defining the diameter and the thickness of a button blank. 1

2. A button blank sorting machine comprising a pair of substantially parallel rotary members spaced from each other and I having opposed deep and narrow grooves,

the edges of which form gage points for simultaneously defining the diameter and thickness of a button blank.

3. A button blank sorting machine comprising a pair of rotary members spaced from each other andhaving opposed spirally deep and narrow grooves, the edges of which form gage points for simultaneously defining the diameter and thickness of a button blank, being carried forward by the rotation of said members.

4. A button blank sorting machine adapted' to sort button blanks having the general form of a spherical sector and comprising a pair of rotary members spaced from each other and having opposed spirally deep and narrow grooves, the edges of which form gage points for simultaneously defining the diameter and thickness of a button blank supported in opposed grooves, and means for rotating said members to carry the button blanks longitudinally thereof.

5. In a button blank sorting machine, the combination of a frame, a pair of rollers having deep and narrow grooves, said rollers being spaced from each other and rota- .bly supported thereon and adapted to support and carry forward a button blank 1n substantially a vertical plane 1n said grooves, the edges of which form gage points for simultaneously defining the diameter and thickness of said. button blank, and means for rotating said rollers. V

' 6. A button blank sorting machine comprising a pairof rotary members spaced fromeach other and supported with their axes of rotation in substantially the same horizontal plane, and also having spirally grooved sections ofsuccessively decreasing diameters, said grooves being deep and narrow and substantially rectangular in cross section and opposedtoieach other, the edges of which form gage pointsfor defining the diameten and thickness of a button blank, the larger blanks being supported and carried forward in'a vertical plane, and means for rotating said members.

PHILIP EBY] LLOYD ANGLE.

/Vitnesses:

EARL A. lVnLLEn, GERTRUDE M. I-IILLER. 

